She Left Him
by Ximatrii
Summary: Mara's view on when Callista leaves Luke.


She Left Him

By: Mara Jade

With a flick of my wrist, I switched the comm unit off.  I just finished speaking to Organa Solo, and I still can't believe what she just said.

                She left him.

                She actually _dared _to leave him.

                I've never like Callista, there was always something about her that I couldn't stand.  Maybe it's the fact that she stole someone else's body?  But that's not all.

                Now I find out that she led Luke on, pretended to love him, has pretended for almost two years.  And now she leaves him cold.  She just up and left.

                Organa Solo told me that her brother's been ignoring all her calls, and refuses to speak to her.  He's walled himself up in his little Academy on that jungle planet.  His students tell her that he has stopped teaching, and handed all his classes over to Kam, Tionne, and the other instructors.   He's irritable on the few occasions that they do see him.  In all, he's not himself.

                And all because of Callista.

                At first I thought that she would never last.  Callista hated who she was, and she also hated Luke for trying to be something other than the Jedi Master.  She was a Force-less Jedi Knight, searching for the Force that had deserted her, but Luke searched for a real life.  Callista saw that as trying to shirk his duties as the only living Jedi Master.  But he wasn't, he just also wanted to be more.

                I've met Callista a few times face-to-face.  The first was after I'd picked Skywalker and her up after their little escapade from the _Eye of Palpatine_.   He had introduced Callista to us, and even though she still looked just like Cray Mingla, whom I'd barely known, Luke saw past that.

                He saw to who she was inside.

                He did the same with me, and he gave me my new life.

                But, no, she couldn't stand to live without the Force, as if giving up her computerized body for a new human body wasn't good enough, she had to blame it on Skywalker!  The only thing he did that was his fault was fall for her.  He never asked her to steal his student's body.  She and Cray decided that on their own.

                Or did Cray have any decision in it at all?  Callista is…was more powerful than I suppose the apprentice was.  Callista had been a full trained Jedi.  Could she have just taken over Mingla's body, pushing her out of it?  That's a scary thought.  If that's true, thank the gods she's no longer Force-sensitive.  I don't doubt that she would never be able to take my body, the Emperor taught me how to keep anyone from being able to even _attempt_ to do that.  But then again, he also told me that that was a trick the Jedi used, and that was one reason why they must die, and that I could feel no compassion for them.  That's a whole different story, however.

                After being on my ship with the two of them, I stayed away.  Callista repelled me, or rather her lack of a Force presence did.  It was disconcerting to not be able to _feel _her, and just a…hole.  Luke was practically hanging on her, on every word she said, especially for the first few weeks.

                A few weeks ago I finally decided to meet with Skywalker.  I wanted to make sure that he truly was happy, I guess.  I had found some information I was about to send him, but decided that it wouldn't hurt to deliver it in person.  And that was I could check on him, see if he was really okay.

                After landing at the Academy, I had talked with Skywalker, even took him for a little trip on the _Fire,_ and I finally decided that he actually was happy.  The only thing he seemed to miss was flying more.  But it hardly showed.  He had suggested I eat with Callista, at least until he could show up.  That was one of the weirdest meals I've ever eaten.  Not that the Academy food was bad, even though it was blander than the ration bars Skywalker seems to think I live off of, but Callista.  She was sitting away from everyone, at a separate table in the corner, and my first thought was that she believed she was better than any of the students.  Later I realized it was because she scared the students, instead.  They didn't understand why they couldn't sense her.  I had sat down at the table next to the Force-less woman, and I tried to start up a simple conversation, which she somehow managed to turn to a question of whether or not I liked or was involved with Skywalker.

                Answer: No.

Never was and never will be.  He's a friend, a close one, and that's all I'm willing for him to be.  Callista, with her delusional mind, fabricated the story she supposedly "heard" from somewhere.  She just wanted someone to assure her that her Jedi Master wasn't cheating on her or planning to.  She wanted to keep him virtuous, because Jedi Masters aren't supposed to have affairs or anything.  According to her twisted mind, they aren't even supposed to have lives.       

And then she starts on me, not living up to my potential, and instead being a Master trader.  She mad it sound as if my title was an insult.  She said that she would do anything to have the Force back, and then tells me that I could truly be a good person, if only I would give my life to the Jedi.

I gave my life to something, years ago.  His name was Palpatine.

I didn't like it.

I know that the Jedi is different, but anything that can hold me down, concrete me to one place, is not what I want or need.  I have no interest in giving up Karrde's organization, or my own business.

Anyhow, I left there, and I never wanted to see Callista again, mostly because although I didn't like her, Luke did, and he was completely taken with her.  I kind of hoped that it would end, but not like this.  I was hoping for the less painful ending.

But it turns out she thinks the Force is more important than Luke.  I don't know how anyone, no matter how delusional they are, could decide to give Luke up for something they most likely will never find.

I think Callista was just there for the Jedi Master.  She wanted to be next to a Force-powerful man, especially after she lost her own powers.  Especially if that Jedi Master was the only living one in the galaxy.  Especially if he was in love with her.

Luke actually thought that he could finally have a family, not be the Jedi Master all the time, and then she leaves him.  I don't think she wanted a family, or the Jedi Master to have one.  It would hinder his job to save anyone, since he would also have to worry about his wife and maybe children at home.  He wouldn't be able to do his job completely, that's probably what she thought.

And so she leaves him.  Is that her way of saying that he wasn't good enough for her?  The questions don't stop there.  Could it be that if he's hurt enough with her running from him, he won't try for another relationship with another woman?  Is she trying to insure that he'll remain the Jedi Master?

I don't know.  All I truly know is that Luke is hurting, and although he's locked himself up, I _am _his friend, and I need to help him.  I haven't figured out the "how" exactly, but I do know I just can't stay here, not when my friend just lost that woman.

I may not have liked Callista; in fact I wouldn't mind practicing my assassination skills on a live body-stealing target.  I mean, I wouldn't want to get rusty or anything.

I still can't believe she left him like that.  I would never do that to Luke.  He's too trusting, too trusting for his own well-being.  I thought even she would be sympathetic enough to let him down easy.  

Obviously, I was wrong.


End file.
